Chime Financial (CHYM) Q3 2026: Lending Surge Drives Third Straight GAAP Profit

Chime Financial reported Q3 2026 revenue of $718 million, up 32% year over year and ahead of the $704 million consensus estimate, with GAAP diluted EPS of $0.11 beating the $0.10 estimate by 12.47%. That EPS figure arrived despite absorbing $17.08 million in restructuring charges and $1.70 million in stock-based charitable contribution expense, making the beat more meaningful than it appears at face value.

The clearest story inside the results is the rapid rise of lending. Platform-related revenue, led by MyPay and Instant Loans, jumped 52% to $274 million. MyPay alone set a record with $5.3 billion in origination volume and is now running at an annualized revenue rate above $500 million, all while loss rates sit around 1%. That compares with payments revenue, which grew 22% to $444 million, underscoring how much faster the lending segment is scaling.

Profitability is no longer a one-quarter story. This was the third consecutive quarter of GAAP profitability, and operating income swung to $34.32 million from an operating loss of $64.71 million in the same period a year ago. Net income reached $43.72 million, up roughly 180% year over year. Active members grew 20% to 10.9 million, with 1.8 million net new additions over the trailing twelve months, and average revenue per active member rose 10% to $270.

Management responded to the momentum by raising full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $2.792 billion to $2.802 billion, implying roughly 28% growth for the year. For Q4 2026, the company guided to revenue of $757 million to $767 million. CEO Chris Britt said the company delivered its "strongest quarter yet as a public company" and cited "structural improvements" in its growth and profitability profile.

The pending acquisition of Stride Bank remains on track for a first-half 2027 close, with management projecting more than $100 million in annual net after-tax synergies from the deal. Looking further out, Chime plans to launch an unsecured credit card and an Enterprise paycard next year, suggesting the lending-led growth engine has additional runway beyond its current product set.